"NASA's Parker Solar Probe took one step closer to the sun Wednesday (Jan. 29) when it executed its fourth flyby of our star." You spin me right around, baby, right around.
"The image you see above is the highest resolution image of the Sun's surface that's ever been taken, according to the NSF. And given how amazing it looks, we're willing to take the organization at its word." Looks like… corn.
"Because experts don't yet know exactly how the virus is transmitted, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that health care workers treat it like an airborne pathogen — germs that can travel in particles or droplets in the air. That means health care workers interacting with a coronavirus patient should wear a heavy-duty mask called an N95 respirator. These respirators are designed to fit tightly around the nose and mouth, and, when worn correctly, block out at least 95% of small airborne particles, according to the CDC." So, can an N95 stop you from inhaling a virus? :: Looks around, whispers :: no. That doesn't mean that wearing a mask is a bad idea, especially if you are sick or around people who are sick. It lowers your chances of becoming infected. Also, N95s are hellahard to use properly, and even then I find them difficult to breath with. But wash your hands with soap and water, avoid touching your face, get rid of those Purell packs you have.
"The first increase in life expectancy since 2014 is largely due to a 4% decline in drug overdose deaths — the first such drop in 28 years."
"AT&T lost another 1.16 million subscribers from DirecTV and its other TV services in the final three months of 2019… On the plus side for AT&T, its revenue per TV customer rose." They just write themselves, folks. (Grokked from John)
"The world’s biggest tech companies fuelled a record surge in the amount of renewable energy sold directly to global corporations last year, according to new figures… The amount of clean energy from renewable energy developers bought by companies has tripled in the past two years, driven by a growing corporate appetite for sustainable energy." So your google searches are adding substantially less to your carbon footprint.
"Facebook this week launched an Off-Facebook Activity portal to give users a different and more detailed perspective on the data it hoovers up from other firms. Off-Facebook Activity is exactly what it sounds like: interactions you have with other entities, such as an app on your phone or a retailer you shop at, that Facebook receives data about. Facebook attaches that data to the rest of the information it has about you and uses it for marketing purposes." (Grokked from John)
"As communities around the world marked the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp, a South Dakota lawmaker compared doctors who treat transgender minors to Nazis, before backtracking his remarks." Hey Rep Fred Deutsch, it's not really an apology until you go back on the air with Tony Perkins and apologize there. Also note, he didn't really apologize, he just said he wished he hadn't said it out loud. "HB 1057, which is scheduled for a vote Wednesday afternoon, is one of at least three bills in South Dakota that LGBTQ advocates say targets transgender youth, like Senate Bill 88 which would require school workers to report transgender youths who come out to them, and Senate Bill 93 which would prevent the state from intervening if a parent refuses to consent to treatment for their trans kid." Who are the teachers supposed to "report" this to?
"Fifty US military personnel have now been diagnosed with concussions and traumatic brain injuries following the Iranian missile attack on US forces in Iraq earlier this month, according to a statement Tuesday from the Pentagon."
"The U.S. economy grew 2.3% last year, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That's a slowdown from the previous year, when the economy grew 2.9%. And it's well short of the 3% growth target set by the White House… In the fourth quarter, the economy grew at an annual rate of 2.1%, matching the pace of the previous three months. The Congressional Budget Office is projecting GDP growth of 2.2% this year." But how is the Dow doing? I'm sure it's all the Feds fault.
"Japanese authorities on Thursday issued arrest warrants for a former U.S. special forces soldier and two other men on suspicion of smuggling former Nissan Motor Co boss Carlos Ghosn out of Japan."
"White House senior adviser Jared Kushner said Washington wants Israel to wait until after its March 2 election before making any moves toward settlement annexation in the West Bank, following the announcement of a U.S. peace plan." Not that he's against illegal annexation, he just wants them to hold off until after Netanyahu is elected. Because that's what this "peace plan" is all about, Benny's next election.
"Lawmakers in the House are set to vote on Thursday to repeal the 2002 authorization for the use of military force in Iraq and to block funds from being used to wage war with Iran, in an effort to curtail President Donald Trump's military actions in light of heightened tensions with Iran."
"Last week, Ukrainians learned of a conversation between Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and an NPR reporter, in which the American diplomat reportedly used a profanity while asking dismissively whether the reporter thought Americans really cared about Ukraine… On Thursday, Pompeo is scheduled to arrive in Kyiv for a two-day visit that is part of a broader trip through four countries that were part of the former Soviet Union. He is the highest-level U.S. official to travel to Ukraine since the start of the impeachment proceedings." But won't hold meetings at the embassy… for which he is the boss.
"The White House has issued a formal threat to former national security adviser John Bolton to keep him from publishing his book, 'The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir' sources familiar with the matter tell CNN." It's not a threat, it sounds like bog standard review language.
"Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky expressed frustration with Republican leadership during the Senate impeachment trial Wednesday night after it was made clear Chief Justice John Roberts would not read his question that named the alleged Ukraine whistleblower, sources with knowledge of the situation said."
"Democrats need to persuade at least four senators to cross party lines in order to lock in enough votes to subpoena witnesses. And while a handful of moderate Republicans have indicated they are open to hearing from witnesses, the prospect of Democrats successfully enlisting enough conservatives to join their witness push looked increasingly dim. Democratic leaders have conceded that it now appears unlikely."
"But Sekulow’s comparison with Egypt is off the mark in several ways. While past administrations have delayed aid, the circumstances and the nuts-and-bolts process, including keeping Congress in the loop, bear no similarities to the Ukraine affair. In particular, with Ukraine, Congress had pushed to send the aid. With Egypt, they were pushing to have it held back." They can't even lie well.
Meanwhile, on Bullshit Mountain, "A string of newly resurfaced video clips of former national security adviser John Bolton spurred President Trump and his supporters Wednesday to highlight what they described as serious credibility questions -- raised by both Democrats and Republicans -- amid the Senate impeachment trial, as the president tweeted, 'GAME OVER!'" The absurdity just hits the roof. Okay, Mr. President (and Fox News), let's say you agree that Bolton was prone to conspiracy theories and was always looking to his next job, and I'm not saying he isn't, but you hired him as the NSC head, and as a commentator respectively. What does that say about your competence? And that Bolton stated he was willing to lie to protect national security, um, remember a couple paragraphs up above you you flaunt that Bolton in August said there was no quid pro quo or pressure on Ukraine? Also, isn't that a reason to get him under oath and penalty of perjury?
And on the north face of Bullshit Mountain, "Instead of pretending that the impeachment of President Trump is a normal event in the course of the nation’s affairs, let’s take this opportunity and make it into a teachable moment. Let’s not just find out what Trump thought, said and did in the Oval Office. Let’s find out the lengths the Washington Establishment was willing to go to stop Trump." My response, I call the bid. Sure, let's do that. Let's bring out just how much Trump has decimated government, how dysfunctional his administration is, the cronyism, the corruption in all corners. Let's do this.
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